Consumer group slams new airline consumer protection rules - TravelMole


Consumer group slams new airline consumer protection rules

Sunday, 01 Dec, 2020 0

The U.S. Transportation Department has made it harder for consumers to argue unfair and deceptive practices by airlines.

It has angered consumer groups and the Transportation Department itself acknowledged that changes may be perceived as favoring airlines over consumer protections.

The DOT said it ‘could translate into the department performing fewer enforcement and rule-making actions.’

However it says it will give ‘greater transparency and predictability on how the department conducts its aviation consumer protection rulemaking.’

Under previous rules, deceptive practices could be determined based on the individual case but now defines it if it ’causes or is likely to cause substantial injury, which is not reasonably avoidable, and the harm is not outweighed by benefits to consumers or competition.’

The new policy also lets airlines request formal hearings before any new consumer protection rules are issued.

The changes were proposed by trade group Airlines for America which were described as ‘anti-consumer’ by the National Consumers League.

The NCL accused the agency of trying to sneak the rule change under the radar as the country enjoyed the Thanksgiving holidays.

"The DOT’s decision, at the height of a pandemic, to kneecap its ability to protect millions of travelers from airline abuses is deeply disappointing," it said in a statement.

"That the department decided to do so on the Friday after Thanksgiving highlights that they hope this terrible decision will be forgotten by Monday."

In contrast A4A welcomed the change.

"It is a critical step forward in ensuring a data-driven regulatory process, which will produce widespread and lasting benefits for air travelers, airlines and the economy," it said.

The rule change was first mooted in February and was opposed by several consumer groups as well as members of the Federal Trade Commission.

 

Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor



 

profileimage

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.



Most Read

Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns

James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel

Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination

Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics

Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy

Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene

Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee

Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail

Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats

Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence

Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy

Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
TRAINING & COMPETITION

Our emails to you has bounced travelmole.com Or You can change your email from your profile Setting Section

Your region selection will be saved in your cookie for future visits. Please enable your cookie for TravelMole.com so this dialog box will not come up again.

Price Based Country test mode enabled for testing United States (US). You should do tests on private browsing mode. Browse in private with Firefox, Chrome and Safari